There's no time to think..."There's no time to write!"

If you've ever sat and thought, "I don't write beause there's no time to write!" you've already wasted precious writing time!! You could've written twenty or so words in the time it took for you to stop and think, "Nope, no time."

Coming from the mouth (keyboard) of a busy mother of two, I know the meaning of the phrase.

I always imagine novelists creating their masterpieces behind a desk in front of a floor to celing window with a view of the ocean...or any number of magnificent settings. Not anymore. My whole viewpoint has changed.

It's laughable how many thousands of words I've written hunched over my iphone, getting cramped thumbs, while chasing my littlest around the house. But hey, if I ever want to finish a first draft...

Sometimes you have to teach yourself to tune out distractions and just find the time. I had a magical moment while sitting in the parking lot before work where I typed about 100+ words on my phone.

So tell me...where do you write?

Melissa

Here's a neat little iphone app I found at apple.com A Novel Idea you can jot down ideas and scenes, then tranfer it to your computer through itunes. It's $1.99 to download. Of course, any text editor will do.

The Chronicles of Noveling: Welcome to the blog...

The Chronicles of Noveling: Welcome to the blog...: I've created this for anyone who loves to write. Period. I am putting the challenge on myself to finish a novel and have decided to chroni...

The Painter

All through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, or a husband, or kids...and I found myself elbow deep in oil paints that created a picture worhty of Vincent VanGough.

Last night, I was an artist.

Live vicariously through your characters and your novel will thank you for it...or at the very least you'll have great fun role playing =) (Or in my case, all the fun without the mess and stinky paint thinners)

Where were you?...

Melissa

Freelance Editor Glory :)

Obviously, I'm completely new to the big bad world of novel writing but I won't let that stop me. Even though it tries like a thorn in my side each time I sit down at my computer.

 I have wonderful friends and family who will tell me "Oh honey that's amazing, you are so talented!" ... But what good will that do me? An unpublished book, that's what.

We love our family cheerleaders but let's face it, it's a biased opinion. As much as I'd like to believe that my jumbled dialogue and choppy prose is that worthy of the bookshelves at my local Barnes & Noble, I'm quite certain it just doesn't cut the mustard. But that doesn't mean it can't get there with some hard work and constructive criticism! ... And probably a lot of re-writing. But I figure I'll treat my book publishing journey like my novel writing journey... Figure out the end and make your way to it!

 Here's something that helped me. I found an amazing freelance editor through NaNoWriMo. Her name is Cara Lockwood. Her company is Edit-my-novel.com. The best part is you can submit your first 500 words for free and she'll edit them so you can see what it's like. She's uber encouraging but also very honest. It's not all about grammar and coherency. She's a kind of guide for people like you and me (Newb's) so we don't have to rely on our friends and family.

 Love you Mom but you're too sweet to hurt my feelings the way they probably need to be hurt to improve.

I hope you've found some help with this. I'll be working with her to get my novel submission or
self-publish ready and will post about the process.

 From the wise old mind of Yoda "There is no try, there is only do!"

 Let's DO, shall we?...

 Melissa

The Marvelous Muse

Today was a day where the stars aligned and my ever so stubborn muse decided to give me a hit of adrenaline worthy of another day of writing.

Every writer says that you need to write write write write, and write some more. Even if you're writing a story around your character of which has become totally boring and is saying "hello world I'm a tool and you should ignore me completely." Those idiotic lines may add up to the one line or two or maybe several pages of glory. For me it was about 2,000 words in a couple of hours. 

So hit your keyboard and start writing those silly sentences and dialogue filled with nonsensical babble in the hopes that you'll rouse your muse enough to come out and play. 

Happy days!

Melissa

Here's to you inner editor, for crapping on my parade

Having trouble putting the kibosh on the little voice in your head that says ... YOU SUCK ... well me too. 

She creeps up in the middle of a great scene and says, no one will read this you idiot. 

This happens to me more times than not. It's the struggle to feel confident when there's nothing to be confident about. When you don't have a published book and your spending you're time writing it like it's your job. Husbands/ Boyfriends/ Friends and Family are asking, do you ever get off your computer? Will we ever see each other again? And with those questions you start to think ... what the hell am I doing here, I'm no writer... 

I found myself wondering this same thing earlier today and you know what I told myself ... Take a hike inner editor ... 

YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE!  

...and I persevere. 

Melissa

Welcome to the blog...

I've created this for anyone who loves to write. Period.

I am putting the challenge on myself to finish a novel and have decided to chronicle my literary journey, give insight into what I'm learning in the process and have other people in my shoes post about their own experiences.

So, if you've written a book, want to write, or are currently stomping through your house yelling expletives because you've just written thousands of words of which are ALL WRONG, then join me in my journey through the novel abyss and lets come out the other side with something worth reading =)

Happy writing!

Melissa